Lies you tell your doctor

Come on zity-sphere, what are some of the lies you tell your health care provider?

Is it how much alcohol you drink? How healthy your diet is? How much you exercise? Something else?

Time to come clean! Let's hear it.

I don't lie to my doctor. I take responsibility for my health through regular intense exercise and a reasonably good diet. I have the height/weight proportion and lower BMI to prove it. I like to occasionally overindulge in my beer. My doctor has encouraged my good behavior excluding of course when I am in for an athletic injury. Then it is "Maybe you should consider slowing down some. That is why you are injured.'

The other day I told my doctor my blood sugars were good - they weren't. I didn't need the lecture that would ensue. Turns out my A1c was not bad, so maybe they weren't as bad as I'd thought.

The other day I told my doctor my blood sugars were good - they weren't. I didn't need the lecture that would ensue. Turns out my A1c was not bad, so maybe they weren't as bad as I'd thought.

That wouldn't work here. Lab results and your medical history can be accessed by doctors via the internet. especially by your ‘registered’ family doctor. The same for hospitals. Once admitted, they can access all your medical records. Very useful if you are in bad shape.

But that does mean, no lying about this kind of stuff. Doctors can easily check.

I am pretty honest on my end, but I wish I told them when I am annoyed with what they do if I am upset with something.

I must admit, and I'm not proud of it, I do on occasion fib to my doctor. Usually, it's less lying and more just not telling him everything. He has a tendency to want to order tests or send me to a specialist for things. He sometimes errs on the side of caution, which I totally get and appreciate. However, sometimes I just don't want all that hassle.

The other day I told my doctor my blood sugars were good - they weren't.

That wouldn't work here. Lab results and your medical history can be accessed by doctors via the internet. especially by your ‘registered’ family doctor. The same for hospitals.

The question was probably asked of her daily blood sugars tests to be done at home. A medical professional only has the patients word on what they test, or not test, at home.

This is similar to my keeping track of my subs blood pressure and daily weight. After he grumbled about my having it done I quit. If my sub isn't going to try to help track his physical well being at home, it isn't the fight I am most worth battling. There are more important things I want to make sure he does - daily medication, keeping on his diet, and getting him moving daily, if possible.

Not so much lies as as not giving them the full story. I don’t like admitting I’m in pain and don’t like asking for help, so I tend to always play down how bad things are. Last time I spoke to my GP I was hurting quite bad and he said to me over the phone ”I don’t really want to start you on painkillers and you’ve said the pain isn’t that bad” when I’m thinking to myself why don’t I tell him it’s bad. My friends always say to me you must be bad if you’ve spoken to the Dr as they know I avoid them. I think I probably also knock a couple of points off for the question ”on a scale of 1 to 10 how bad is the pain?” Also I never tell them how much I drink, often when Im asked if I had taken anything for it (particularly for pain) I always say no nothing, when the real answer is whiskey.

Not so much lies as as not giving them the full story. I don’t like admitting I’m in pain and don’t like asking for help, so I tend to always play down how bad things are.

I suppose you could count this as a form of benevolent lying. I too have always played down the pain for any number of reasons: being thought a wimp certainly plays a part. But also because my mother was such an anxious person when it came to illness of her kids. Any sign of an illness, however slight and she went into protective mode, well-meant of course but at times emotionally suffocating with her worry. As a kid you don't want to be pampered and treated like you can't take care of yourself. I had that in spades, but I suppose when the doctor did come he never paid my protestations much mind.

And I do have to admit that I will never ever admit to the doc of feeling plain fed-up and depressed about things, about the sometimes dark clouds hovering above my head and my thoughts about the utter stupidity and irresponsibility of the human race. Enough to make one despair.

But I'll never say so to the doctor. For me it's the stiff upper lip and soldering on like a good chap …

The only time I ever sort of lied to my doctor is when I was on flying status and getting grounded would have been very expensive and a major lifestyle change. I denied feeling numbness in the fingers of my left hand from the arthritis in my cervical spine. I passed their little pizza wheel test. I don't know what its proper name is that's what I call it.

It's well known that your Doctor will double any statement you make about alcohol consumption, on the assumption that patients do not tell the truth.

It's very important therefore to tell your Doctor half your true usage, just so he gets to the correct answer. Plus he probably drinks like a fish anyway.

It's well known that your Doctor will double any statement you make about alcohol consumption, on the assumption that patients do not tell the truth.

It's very important therefore to tell your Doctor half your true usage, just so he gets to the correct answer. Plus he probably drinks like a fish anyway.

You need a new doctor. Well known where?

Your Doctor needs to hear the truth. If you don't tell him the truth then you are only hurting yourself and your loved one's who depend on you.

It's well known that your Doctor will double any statement you make about alcohol consumption, on the assumption that patients do not tell the truth.

So what about patients who don't drink at all, who are tea-totallers? Does that mean a doctor wouldn't believe that on principle? There are such people. I don't drink and have never liked it at all, not even when young.

Anything you tell your doctor will get recorded in your medical history. And don't believe those records are sacredly held. Some employers, insurance companies etc can require access to them. When I was working I had to sign a waiver for my employer to get access to my medical records as a condition to hold a security clearance. I didn't admit to drinking, sexual activity outside of marriage, fetishes, depression, recreational drugs, high risk activities, if I had guns in the house, stress, etc. Don't tell your doctor anything you're not comfortable with were it to go public!

I lie a lot on all the stupid new Medicare questions they ask. Doesn't affect my medical care and it's none of their business.

I would think that a doctor would record exactly what you tell him and not artificially inflate things like number of drinks per day, smoking etc. They may think that you drink more (double?) than what you report, but what if you switched doctors and the new doc asked if you were still having 8 drinks per day - from your chart - when you had told the previous doctor 4? And if it got out that you had 8 drinks per day, it could possibly be disclosed in court, by insurance companies and/or possibly your employer.

So what about patients who don't drink at all, who are tea-totallers? Does that mean a doctor wouldn't believe that on principle? There are such people. I don't drink and have never liked it at all, not even when young.

@agracier What the heck is wrong with you. 😢. Nothing wrong with not drinking. More of us should do that. Sad that so many start out social drinking and then develop serious problems.

So what about patients who don't drink at all, who are tea-totallers? Does that mean a doctor wouldn't believe that on principle? There are such people. I don't drink and have never liked it at all, not even when young.

Exactly. So doctors probably know a lot of people lie, so they think everyone is lying, so saying you don't drink or do drugs won't be believed.

It's like we have to lie. “Oh, I have a glass of wine weekly", instead of, “ I never drink. I don't like alcohol.” Because they just don't want to believe anyone can turn alcohol down.

@agracier - If you don't drink, then fear not as two times zero is still zero.

But seriously, although the lighthearted essence of my post was missed by some, it is the case that Doctors believe patients under report their vices. And certainly the doctors of my generation were notorious drinkers and smokers. I know one cancer surgeon who still smokes heavily. Why? Because Medicine can be a stressful job, I expect.

@gwhap raises a very relevant point. Depending on your country, your medical records may be accessible by insurance companies, employers or police. Hence I'm told many with sexually transmitted disease will go to anonymous clinics not via their doctor who'll record this forever. In the 1980s insurance companies used the mere fact you'd had a HIV test (not a positive result) against applicants. Ditto genetically predictive illness tests in the UK now.

I'm afraid the sanctity of Doctor/Patient confidentiality has been blown, so think hard what you want formally recorded if treatment options for those with problems can be accessed anonymously.

Depending on your country, your medical records may be accessible by insurance companies, employers or police.

From all that I read and know, medical records are not accessible by employers, police or insurance companies. These last especially not as our medical insurance is not run for profit by private companies.

I've never read about it being any great concern here.

In a previous job I had bi annual medicals, which were generally very superficial.

One such medical pitched me against a rather eccentric doctor who tried his best to intimidate me into thinking I was drinking way too much. He kept repeating the number of units I had put on the form (40) that I drank each week: I actually was fairly accurate with that!

I refused to be bullied knowing that he would be hard pressed into proving that it was having a measurable and negative effect on my all round health and fitness. He eventually accepted that and settled for “you do drink above the recommended amount you know”.

I saw him again two years later and he recalled the incident with a grin.

I have resorted to the “show me where it is affecting my health” argument on a few occasions which usually sees off any criticism but after a change of health supplier I did eventually meet a more determined doctor who was more challenging. But as she was a stunner, wore a shortish skirt, smart heeled shoes and willingly examined my prostate as I bent over, I was prepared to be accepting of her telling off!

I told my doc that I exercise. 😂

Google “who can see my medical records”. https://www.verywellhealth.com/who-has-access-to-your-medical-records-2615502

“Note that there are exemptions to HIPAA privacy rights under certain circumstances. In addition, life insurers, employers and some school districts are exempted from these laws. Government agencies such as Medicare or the Social Security Administration may examine your medical records for purposes of establishing eligibility for certain programs.”

From all that I read and know, medical records are not accessible by employers, police or insurance companies. These last especially not as our medical insurance is not run for profit by private companies.

I've never read about it being any great concern here.

In the UK the Police can obtain Medical Record access where there is a sufficient ‘Public Interest’ argument that the Public's interest overrides the individuals' right to confidentiality:

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/ethics/medical-students/ethics-toolkit-for-medical-students/when-police-request-access-to-patient-records

Regarding Insurance, anyone claiming on a medical policy would have to sign over access to their records, to verify no pre-existing conditions, or else forfeit their claim. It's in the standard policy T&C. They don't make checks on your health when you take your Travel Insurance policy out, but require access if you claim for getting sick abroad etc.

In the UK there's even a statutory duty on Healthcare Professionals to report extremist views that may be expressed by patients they treat:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance/revised-prevent-duty-guidance-for-england-and-wales

Retired Doctors answering the recent call for medical volunteers to help with the mass Covid vaccination, were turned away if they had not had this ‘Prevent Counter-Terrorism’ training, despite the ‘patients’ being a random selection of strangers seen for 5 mins max.

No one should consider what they say to their Doctor to be completely confidential.

I'm……… a virgin